Dear All & All,
This is Sriram again from Madurai. In all my previous reviews, i compared polo with its compeititors. This time i write my experience of Polo in the summer check up & new accessories & damage repairs. I own VW Polo 1.2L Petrol Trendline... With the age of 6 months & 5400KMs of total run, my Polo is reborn with some new features... All the scratches at the front bumber, door & back bumbers are cleared and new accessories like Door Sill, Door Protector, Reverse Parking Sensor and Body coloured painting done for Mirror & Handles of all doors and the Summer Check up (Ac vents check, Engine oil check, water wash etc)... The million doller question is the service. i am fully satified with RAMANI CARS Volkaswagen, Madurai. They were keen to help me for explaining all details about the new accessories and cost of repair of damages, they did good job. But i am very disappointed that they promised to deliver in 3 days but they took 7 days to deliver my car. For a big line & scratches in the door, they claimed Rs.8500 repuees for repair but i thank god that it was covered in insurance. Insurance is from Bajaj Alliance and they agreed only for 4000 rupess for 8500 rupees claim. I felt OMG.. I paid 16K for insurance premium but can not be claimed for Rs.8500???? Then VW service advisor agreed me that i need not to pay anything for that repair of damages in the door (I am very very happy for this :-) )... The final bill was Rs.10700 (Reverse Parking sensor - Rs. 4800 (very costly), Handle & Mirror Painting - Rs. 3000, Door Sill - Rs.1000, Door Protector - Rs. 1400, only Rs. 500 for front side bumber tinkering & repainting :-). The backside scratches were very less so they suggested me to go for a touch up rather then fully repaining at back bumber.... So they did a very average touch up at backside scratches at free of cost... I was expecting my bill to be 3000 more than what i have paid. But i think i am lucky this time.... But the cost of accessories are very expensive something like Music system, GPS, Bluetooth etc. Surely i cant buy these things at VW showroom... I worry about the cost of Spare parts like Clutch pedal, Gear Box tools etc.. I need to enquire this to the service advisor. After the summer check up, the car functions much better in smothness. Also i complained about the AC makes slow noisy whistle sound when it is in full control. That was completely fixed. Power Window issue of hanging for 5 minutes is fixed, clutch and brake are adjusted. So my Polo is reborn and looks like a new car (and now it looks like a comfortline variant in exterior) and going well. So far so good... I worry about many Polo & Vento users who met with small accident and let the cars in VW show room for repair.. I dont know when they will get their car back :-(... In one month i am planning to update a Music system (mostly from outside or probably from VW becasue of saving the warranty period of 2 years for electronic components).... VW needs to changes their policy to allow users to fit accesories as per their wish to get a success in india.. This is strong suggestion... Also cost of important spares are still unknown which needs to be very clear...... Finally VW Polo is simply a superb car.... Best Regards, Sriram M

hello mr sriram!
m a btech( automobile) student from karnatake, i was jus plannin to buy a car within range of 6lakh. so was jus fascinated by vw polo. since u already own one would like to know if its worth to buy. n wat are the other car within this range, polo don give a very good power output ( its jus 75 bhp) compared to its big engine , probably underrated engine power as compared to Beat which gives 80 bhp, n comes in much lesser price, pls throw some light on this .
thnkin you in advance..

sriram |27 Jun,2011 11:33:51 AM

hi rohit.. Thanks for your msg... Yes you are right. Polo's engine is not the best when compared to Other hatches in this segment. Polo has 3-cylinder engine and produces 75Ps at 5400 rpm where as Beat engine produces 80.5 PS at 6200 rpm and the Swift's engine produces 85ps @ 6,000rpm. I talk about the petrol engines... Since you are a auto mobile student, you can understand the power rating with respect to the same rpm rates...So beat engine is only better in paper than Polo.. In petrol engine, mostly Polo comes up to competite with all cars. But in diesel, Swift k-series engine is the best in hatchback... Now i20 comes up with 6 gears diesel engine which should be amazing... So Polo's engine can be rated after swift & Hyundai i20.... In all other cases except the extra features, polo wins than other cars in Comfort, Build, Quality, ride feel, control, look & style... I bought Polo 1.2L trendline petrol for 5.10 Lacks which i feel very much value for money. Comfortline & Highline were more than my budget and for any one if no problem for investing 1.5 Lacks more for highline, surely they can go for it. Becasue highline has things loaded worth for 1 Lack (outside market price) atleast like Alloys, Music System, Airbags, ABS, Remote Key control etc.... I am very happy with VW Polo and i think i have made a right choice. You can do a test drive at all cars and decide. When i did this, i finalized Polo among Swift, i20, Punto, Jazz ( i liked it but too costly for me), Fabia, Ritz.... Except Polo, i saw all other and finally decided to buy Swift Vxi, then when i saw Polo, i changed my mind to Polo and never seen any other car after that... So think well and select a car which suits well for you... All the best...

rohit |27 Jun,2011 02:10:50 PM

hey thanks a lot sriram. it was really helpful . i ll take a test drive of polo tdy . and ya even i20 sports looks quiet good but a bit costly. but as an automobile student i feel car should be equipped with ABS n airbags for better safety . so like is thr any provision to get the aforementioned feature as an add on or something. and are there any car which gives these features and come around 5 lakh or upto 5.5 lakh?

sriram |27 Jun,2011 04:01:24 PM

Hi Rohit, In any car, no ABS or Airbag can be fitted after purchase your car. They must be fitted during manufacture itself i think....Which variant you are ooking for? Petrol or Diesel? At this price tag, All premium hatchback cars fully loaded variants will be more than your budget.... In Nissan Micra & Skoda Fabia, you get Airbags in the base version itself. But no ABS i think. For your budget, the fully loaded versions of Figo, Beat, Ritz, Astar, i10 etc. I strongly suggest you to increase your budget and to go for a premium hatchback like Jazz, Polo, Fabia, Swift, i20, Micra, Punto or Figo or even Beat...

rohit |27 Jun,2011 05:01:15 PM

ohh. is it so?? probably should ask dad :) thanks a lot brother it was a very good piece of information . lookin at the i20 sports it looks really good. but polo is also good, anyways ll either try to hike in budget or ll go for a trendline polo.

sriram |27 Jun,2011 05:51:51 PM

All the best... i20 is a good car but only better than Polo in terms of Engine & extra Features.... Buy the car which really your mind & heart agrees with 100%....

rohit |28 Jun,2011 02:50:01 PM

hey sriram m afraid hav to disturb u again.. tdy had been to VW showroom n took a test drive of polo. its very good car. u had earlier said that ur polo cost u 5.1 lakh but here in hubli(karnataka) the ON ROAD price for the trendline is 5.6 lakh. which is 50k costlier, and the comfort line comes to 6.3 lakh. so like have the price hiked? and also i found the black color to be very attractive but the executive said black is not available in the trendline so is the same everywher? and trendline dont have rear power windows. so is is possible to get rear power window done to this with any modification?

sriram |28 Jun,2011 03:26:34 PM

hi rohit.. yes the price is hiked 15K more than when i purchased in December 2010. Also it has minor changes.. i bought it for 4.42 Lacks Ex-showroom price. Now it is 4.57Lacks. But in Karnataka, the tax is 15% where as in Tamil Nadu, the tax is 10%. The exact cost of Polo trendline petrol in Karnataka is 5.53lacks... in TN, it is 5.26 Lacks now... You can use the cardekho's Get On Road Price tool for finding it. In Madurai, the VW dealer now announces some offer to fullfil the price hike of 15K. For that they give a free annual maintenance for 1 year... Yes. Trendline has only front power windows. You can do it altered outside but the finish will not be good and your warranty for electronics will be void....

hiii sriram.. this is mohan,
i'm planing to buy a polo highline petrol version probably in next month could you please tell me how much mileage ur car is giving in city as well as in highway...
do reply,
regards MOHAN

sriram |27 Jun,2011 11:43:31 AM

Hi Mohan, Thanks for you msg. Good to hear that you are planning to buy highline. Why not diesel? considering the petrol price hikes. Also for Petrol, u have a option of 1.6L polo which has same engine as Vento which is the best engine available for the cars at around 10Lacks....I own VW Polo 1.2L trendline petrol. I get averagely 13KMPL with Full AC always ON.
I didnt separate from city or highways. Because my highway use is very less. Also in highways, i drive at atleast 120KMPH and max i drive at 150KMPH..... For a 250KM trip (65 KMs on the 4 way highways and remaining on the district level typical indian roads), i will spend 20 Litres of petrol and after that i get Low Fuel warning in which i can still drive 20KMs atleast and i never tried that.... I suggest you to go for Diesel car....

mohan |27 Jun,2011 11:47:39 PM

@srirsm
thanks fr ur suggestion bro.. i mostly drive my car in evng times and in holidays,
basically i'm a college going student stduying b.tech final year so i prefered a petrol version which is suitable for me(think so). i opted for 1.2L highline and u r asking me try 1.6Lhighline.... surely bro i'll defenitly take a test drive and even ma papa agrees to go with it i wil finalise it..
bro do u have any idea about music system that is giving in highline versions?? i need a good music systems with nice bass.. is it better to hear are not??
as it is my 1st car and i'm still a student i have some enthusiastic to show off in front off my friends by playing high bass songs[i even had a some collection too :)]
if u have any idea give me some suggestions bro
regards MOHAN

sriram |28 Jun,2011 12:09:36 PM

Hi Mohan, Thanks for your msg. Yes. For you petrol variant will suit well. I have 1.2L Petrol trendline variant. It does not have the Music system. I yet to fit a music system. In VW showroom, the basic kenwood MP3 player costs Rs.9000 including the front speaker and labour charge. The highline polo has Kenwood Music system which is not the best in class as Pioneer or JCL etc. Also it does not have Bluetooth connectivity... When you test drive it, also check the music system.. I dont have much experience in music system of Polo or any other car.... One important point for all VW buyers is if you do any alteration in the electric or electronic components of the car, 2 years warranty for that part will be void... So doing alteration is not a problem if the outside rep does it perfectly. If any problem comes, warranty will not be covered.... They say that their wiring technology is very advanced and the outside car decorators are not well knowledged about their technology. Still I dont understand why???????................ Any how i plan to do remote key, Back door power window, music system etc at outside decorators after 6 months....

mohan |28 Jun,2011 10:21:26 PM

@sriram, hieee.. thanks for your reply & bro 1 more thing i'm 6 foot tall is the driver's seat and positioning are comfortable for me?? i'm asking this because when i test drived the vehicle i felt little discomfort and clumsiness when getting into the car as well as while getting out too.. were these things are manageable or not?? and rear seats are comfortable for 3 persons seating freely?? what about rear legroom???
regards MOHAN

sriram |29 Jun,2011 12:16:48 PM

hi mohan, you are planning for Highline which has height adjustable driver seat and adjustable steering as well. So you can adjust it according to fit position. I am 5.10 feet height and using trendline which has no height adjustable driver seat. I feel comfortable with it... For me rear space is enough to sit 3 persons. The left & right persons can sit comfortably. But the middle passenger will feel uncomfortable because of the gear box extension finish is much higher at the center... So they need to keep the legs one side each of the gear box extension surface.... If you give me your email id, i will send you the pictures of my car and rear leg room.....

mohan |29 Jun,2011 06:26:43 PM

hii sriram... my mail id is: mohanakrishna49@gmail.com

sriram |29 Jun,2011 08:29:25 PM

i sent some pictures...

sriram |04 Jul,2011 07:26:00 PM

hi did u receive my pictures?...

mohan |04 Jul,2011 09:04:46 PM

hiii sriram.... i received ur pictures,
thank you

Shibu |07 Sep,2011 08:08:08 AM

Hi Sriram
I need an advise from u...Be it any car...For Fuel cost concerns, prefer to go for a Diseal version,but iam cautioned by some friends that unless, I cover a distance of more than 30 kms per day, its not worth buying a diseal version of any car. Could u please advise me how this works...My average usage per day may be about 15-20 kms.

Mayank |29 Jun,2011 06:52:20 PM

Hi Sriram and all, I am having Trendline Diesel version, I am so happy with it, It has exceptional power and in look and brand value its higher then every other car, thats I think about my Polo.

you didnt get any kind of invitation?... I bought my car on Dec last week 2010... when did u bought?

sreekanth |30 Jun,2011 02:07:16 PM

I got it on June 1st, just a month back. What is the criteria for that invitation? After some time period like 6 months etc. or any seasonal offer? I will call the customer care and ask them and let you know.

sriram |30 Jun,2011 04:26:33 PM

ok thanks.. I think 6 months is the criteria.... It has another tactics. During this summer checkup, they suggest lot of extra accessories and your mind will think to go for it... Same happened to me as well and the result is same which is the above review My VW Polo is Reborn.... I cleared all the scratches and preferred for some new accessories during this free summer check up....

sreekanth |30 Jun,2011 05:04:58 PM

I contacted the dealer as well as the VW cust care. Neither of them seem to be aware of what this is about. I also asked deatils about the extended warranty about which they didnt mention at the time of delivery (I came to know of it through some forums like this). Cust care said they will arrange a call back from some concerned person. Dealer said it can be extended before the 2 year warranty expires. Cant take his words, would like to hear it officially from VW. Another heartbreaking piece of information I heard from the dealer is for Polos delivered between 15th June and 15th July, they give 3 free service it seems, i.e. for 3 years!Quite upset on hearing that.

sriram |30 Jun,2011 07:40:38 PM

Hi Sreekanth, Even my VW Dealer too told the same for the Extended warranty will be informed after the first year... Lets see... But it all depends on the dealer... Regarding the 3 free service offer, it was just amazing. Me too feel that i shud have got it.. It is not in our hands.... Here in Madurai, they give 1 free service for Polo to compensate the price hike of the cars.. It is purely based on Dealer... My best advice is always keep in touch with VW rep whom you approached to buy car and the VW service advisor. They give some updates which may be every helpful for at any time.....

Sriram |01 Jul,2011 05:12:00 PM

Dear All, From today Morning, the reverse parking sensor is not
working :-(... Just called the dealer and going to check this up tomorrow....

Hi Satish, Under my point of view, Polo is much better car than i20 & swift... Even it is the truth... You go and visit all these cars and take a test drive and decide... I bought Polo trendline ahead of swift vxi & i20...

sriram |04 Jul,2011 07:24:55 PM

Hello All,
My Reverse Parking Sensor Audio (Alarm) part is dead.. It will be replaced by warranty. I just smashed the dealer with my words for this... They were kept quite and told that they will replace with newer one. They claim that this is the first time it is happening in the case of reverse parking sensor. I said that Anyhow i dont believe this. If this happen again to me, then i will directly complain to the VW... Let see what happens... In Coming thursday they will fix a new parking sensor alarm kit... Mean time, i am going to reach 6000KMs by this weekend.. I touched 160KMPH speed in highways.... Awesome Experience and It was just like flying in a Jet :-)... Polo is the best.........

sreekanth |06 Jul,2011 04:09:21 PM

Hi Sriram, Its good that the dealer is atleast replacing it. Wonder if there will be any effect after complaining to VW. I read some forum that Polos (petrol) delivered between 1st June and 31st July will have free AMC for three years. So asked the dealer, he said its 15th June to 15th July (may be they want me to shell out service costs). I knew that the dealer is very bad w.r.t. accuracy of information from my previous experiences. So called up VW to know about the offer. I was shocked when the cust care executive asked me Sir, what do you mean by AMC? What is its full form ? Asked about extended warranty, they have no idea...... Asked about Summer / Monsoon check up, they have no idea.... For everything he said please ask your dealer Then I lost my temper and simply shouted at them. I simply dont know what to do with this kind of greedy dealerships and irresponsible customer care. Any idea how to deal with this?

sriram |07 Jul,2011 03:40:53 PM

Hi Sreekanth, It is very sad that no one is aware of your request. Which contact number you use to talk with VW?... I asked about AMC to my dealer and he too dont know about that. And they are giving the 1 year free annual maintenance for all Polo petrol variants.... There is a site called teambhp where you can post your problems and it will be published in all sites and it will go to VW eye directly. You can try that as well... Also you can publish your dealer name & address here as well or write a review with all of your bad experiences with VW in detail mentioning the dealer name... All the best....Regarding the summer check up, dealers in madurai, chennai & coimbatore all knew it and some of my friends also availed this offer. You can check about it in google as well....

sachinizer |09 Jul,2011 05:31:48 PM

Hi Sriram,
Glad to have bumped into this page. I am having a hard time making a decision finalizing a hatchback. Although POLO (comfort&highline) would be a good choice, I may not be able to afford parts and service. Shelling out all that extra money everytime would further add on to my expenses. I am however considering i20 and jazz. (jazz if i can convince my parents). I think i20 is way too common and seen in every nook and corner of the city. jazz on the other hand, i'm worried if it will be discontinued owing to the poor sales figure. could you shed some light and your views. this car will be for 3, me and my mom and dad. my dad uses from 2-3 times a week at the most to once in two weeks. i don't have much use other than going to my classes. i'm in a small city, baroda, gujarat so the distance isn't much. max kilometers will be 20/day. i will look forward to your reply. plus could you include the fuel efficiency of polo 1.2,1.6. is the FE of Jazz significantly lower than i20. btw i have heard that jazz isn't meant for highways and doesn't feel that stable over 120kmph. i like burning the roads.

sriram |11 Jul,2011 12:16:06 PM

Hi Sachin, Thanks for your msg. My rating for the best hatchback cars is below. 1) Jazz (Master of all hatchback) 2) Polo 3) Skoda Fabia 4) i20 5) swift 6) Figo 7) Punto.... Except Jazz, the other car are having only slight points above than the other. If you plan for Jazz (affording its high price tag), it is a good choice. It is better than Polo in all terms except ride & comfort feel in which polo is better. In all other points, Jazz is the real winner. Your next choice would be obviously Polo. Maintenance cost of Jazz will be more than Polo. Maintenance cost of Polo will be 20 - 30% more than its other competitors... There is a possibility for Jazz to be discontinued in next 2 to 3 years. But i am not sure... Regarding the milegae, Since your option is petrol, the mileage would be more or less 3 Km will be differed in all variants. My Polo 1.2L Petrol trendline gives me 13KM (i estimated by a 250KM trip in both highways & city combined) with Full AC ON always.... You can also look for some sedans at the price of jazz like Vento, SX4, Verna, Linea etc which will be much more comfortable than hatch back.... With my Polo, i solidly touch 160KMPH in highways.. I am sure that in Jazz too you can do that... IF you look for powerful engine, you can look for Polo 1.6 in hatch which will give 12KMPL mileage avg or any sedan... Always look for branded cars.. I believe in its class and quality...

sriram |12 Jul,2011 01:48:50 PM

Great News for you is that the Honda Jazz price is reduced upto Rs. 1.75 Lacks... You will get it in the price tag of 5.5 to 6 Lacks now... Vow, perhaps you are one of the luckiest car buyer this year if you buy jazz... When i looked for it, it was 7.35 lacks to 7.75 Lacks... All the best...

sachin |14 Jul,2011 03:22:35 AM

Hey Sriram, Thanks for your response. After all the research I've done of all hatchbacks, I agree to your ranking totally, it quite frankly impressed me. I remember taking a test ride of POLO 1.6 and was totally blown away. It is the most powerful hatchback in the market (JAzz the most powerful in 1.2 segment). With Polo and Fabia though, there after sales service have a poor record in Indian market plus they're 3 cylinder engines. Plus the idea of shelling out 6-7 and still not getting electric ORVM (besides the simple look of dashboard)wasn't appealing as that is considered a basic feature today. VW is Skoda's parent company. They both have the best durability and quality of dash board. Coming down to i20, although it was loaded with features, it just didn't do it for me. Would like to share this great news that I'm extremely excited about. I booked Jazz and it will be delivered tomorrow. I did take advantage of the price cut and I'm getting it on road for 6.7 as opposed to 7 because the colour I want (black - i know its hard to maintain) was only available with november manufacturing date on it. they're including leather seatcovers and illuminated door garnish as complimentary because they're providing a nov 2010 car as opposed to 2011 car. Thanks a lot. I would've loved to go for polo 1.6 but my parents would have never agreed. Did you take the test ride of 1.6? If my budget was of the original price of jazz, then I would've gone for Vento.

sachinizer |14 Jul,2011 03:27:44 AM

In response to your statement Maintainence of jazz will be more than polo... really? how and why so? Jazz, owing to its price cut has been booked across India like crazy. Now honda is focusing on Brio so all their manufacturing plant is busy with Brio, from what I've heard. No wonder Jazz is available in only the running colours in market which are white, silver and red. I wanted blue but didn't mind settling for black. Black is gonna be pain to maintain but didn't want to go with what is incredibly common on indian streets with 8/10 cars being white or silver. I heard from my dealership that they ran out of red as well. Honda is coming up with Jazz 1.3 and 1.5 according to some online sources. Maybe they plan to conquer the normal hatchback segment with Brio and keep Jazz just for the premium market.

sreekanth |13 Jul,2011 05:29:19 PM

Thanks Sriram, I will post it in team bhp. There are two toll free nos of VW given by dealer: 1800 102 0909 & 1800 209 0909.
Finally all my shouting yielded some results. The dealer directly called me to come for monsoon checkup (I didnt get the invitation directly from VW). Along with this I also gave a list of other complaints including my engine and clutch noise. Got back the car today. The engine noise has somewhat reduced. Need to see after driving few more kms. The worst part is 4 days back the music system controls stopped working just like your reverse parking sensors. Listed this also as a complaint. But they didnt do it (or werent able to do it) and convinced me that a person will come home to do the same. I called the person and he told he never comes to home and asked me to come to his shop. When I mentioned the S.A.'s name, he told he doesnt know anyone like that ! What a cheat this dealer is ! Now I am insisting on a replacement under warranty. Lets see what happens.

sriram |15 Jul,2011 04:43:50 PM

Hi Sreekanth, Ok.. YEs Most of the Polo users complain about their dealers similiar to this case. It is very bad that the Music system is gone. Which music player you opted?. Which model?.. The best way is to go to dealer and meet the head of the showroom and shout.complaint at him for such things like this. I did the same last time when the sensor became bad. Even still i am waiting for the approval of warranty for my Parking Sensor.. I have no time to go to dealer shop to complete the formalities. Its good that you got the monsoon check up like what i got is summer check up.... Tomorrow or monday i will go for fixing the Parking sensor again... If you are disappointed with the dealer, report him to VW and register the same info in team bhp mentioning the dealer name and the attender name... Thanks..

Jaideep |10 Jul,2011 05:22:16 AM

Dear Sriram, it seems you know a lot about cars. Please suggest a good car for my father. My dad (74yrs) is looking for a new car for city driving. Both he, and the driver will drive, so rear seat legroom & comfort is very important. His knees are a little weak, so he can't get in and out comfortably if the car is close to the ground or low seats. He has seen the Santro and can get in and out of that very well, but rear leg room is very little, so he can't buy the Santro. His monthly driving is less than 500kms so mileage is not very important. A good and powerful AC helps. Besides sedans and hatchbacks, we have considered Xylo & Innova, but they seem to be too big. Can you suggest something bigger than Santro but smaller than the Innova, where seats are high and rear leg room big enough? Thanks.

sriram |11 Jul,2011 12:26:07 PM

Hi Jaideep, Thanks for your msg. The selection of the car must be purely based on the usage. In your case, Space is the major criteria for buying the car. Polo's space is ok for 5 passengers including driver, but if you very tall, you will face difficult in driving position because Polo have a sleek design which makes its height lesser and more lengther. Figo & i20 has lot of spaces which will be much comfortable than Polo. Also Jazz is also a good option but very expensive. The VFM and easy for city is Figo which will be the perfect choice for you i feel. If you look for brand, ride & comfort class and stylish vehicle with drive feel, You can go for Jazz or Polo. In Sedan you can go for Vento, SX4, Verna, Linea or even the super star Honda City which will be a great car for your father interms of comfort, space and importantly pride & status...Jazz is the choice for bigger than Santro and smaller than Innova...

sachinizer |14 Jul,2011 03:46:43 AM

I must say you're really good at suggesting cars. Its generally hard for an end consumer to decide from all the cars because the features and reliability are mixed up. Figo will certainly be a good option. Currently Jazz has a incredible offer going on. A price cut of 1.75lakhs so if you imagine you're getting a car worth 8.5 for 7. Very spacious. If you're on a trip, people can also go to sleep at the back that opens up to a queen size bed. i20 is comfy but three people can't sit comfortably at the back. I took a test ride of Etios Liva. The drive, ride and feel was incredible but in order to make it available for an inexpensive price, they have done all that they can, so the plastics on dash board are not that appealing. Let me tell you, its one of the most spacious hatchbacks and will also be easy to get in and out. Worth checking out. I would advise against i20. Try Jazz, Figo and other cars that Mr. Sriram suggested. Since Jazz has a price cut, I wouldn't think twice before booking it right away. Dealers are slowly running out of Jazz.

sriram |15 Jul,2011 05:20:14 PM

Hi Sachin, Thanks for your messages. I am quite busy in my work and my replies are late.sorry for the delay.... Thanks for your comments. Yes. you are right. With the big price cut, Jazz is going to be the first choice for many of the hatchback buyers. Even if the same price cut is announced in December 2010 (before i buy the Polo), my choice would be Jazz than Polo if i decided to buy Polo highline. But my budget was only 5lacks ( 20K more), so my choice would be Polo trendline in the same case. As i told, Jazz is the real winner of Hatchback in all segments but except the comfort & ride quality which is better in Polo than jazz... Regarding the maintenance cost, Jazz will be more than Polo becasue of the same reason why Polo's maintenance is more than Maruti/Hyundai cars. It is well built and high quality materials used car hence its parts and replacement are costlier just to meet the same quality. The floor mate for Polo is 1200 Rs where as for Swift it is 800 rupees but if you compare both, you will throw the floor mate provided by Maruti to the dust bin... The quality that matters and costs. Yes. I have taken test drive of Polo 1.6. It is the powerful engine of all hatches also it is the powerful engine (petrol) of all cars available under 10 Lacks including sedans. It is the same engine used in the Vento.. Regarding the 3-cylinder engine fact of Polo, as an engineer, i must explain that as a car user we must think about the power generated by the engine in which it never matters 2-cylinder, 3-cylinder or 4-cylinder. Yes Polo's engine is not the best in class, Suzuki's K-series is only better engine available and ultimately all engine generates same level of power ( or - 5% difference) and all are 5 speed gears, i never mind 3-cylinder engine. But VW must mind it to ensure the engine life is good with 3-cylinder because it needs to do more rotations to generate power than a 4-cylinder engine to generate almost same amount of power. The result is heating of the engine for which there is a fan provided in the engine mount area which cools engine constantly running at high speeds. This is the reason why Polo's engine is little noisier than other cars and for me it never looks that noise is from Engine perhaps i am aware of the fast running of a FAN.. Though Polo is a 3-cylinder engine, still no hatchback car can overtake me in highways... :-)... Thanks to all and have a nice car....

sachinizer |17 Jul,2011 04:45:58 AM

damn Mr. Sriram! its always enlightening to talk to you. totally agree that no car can overtake you on highways owing to VWs make, built, weight and proportion. Jazz's ride and comfort may not be excellent like Polo but its really good for its class, perhaps the best after the germans? reading about the cylinders was quite informative. in cylinders the power remains the same but how does it impact the FE and which do u think is the optimum choice for indian market, a 3 cylinder engine or 4? btw, my jazz is extremely silent. can't hear a thing plus once you roll up the windows, its like a noise cancellation headphones. it must be the same with polo and fabia but the engine noise does makes its way inside. anyway the most important question at this stage are two. 1)teflon coating... dupont for Rs 22oo or 3M for Rs. 1750? Now window screens/films... there are plenty qualities starting from 800 to 5000. there are some I like that are 1200 and 1800 but at the end of the day i cant say much difference why i like nor can i justity myself why i like 1200 over 850 one. maybe because he brochures boast about its UV elmination, anti glare, heat resistance. what all should i keep in mind. btw, i'm considering a black one that you can't see through, i know its illegal... i'd love to add you on facebook if thats k.
cheers! sachin

sreekanth |26 Jul,2011 01:54:39 PM

Hi Sriram, another info I came across regarding the engines. In Europe VW uses a 1.2L petrol engine but with 4 cylinders with its patented TSI technology. It produces 105 PS of power !!! same as produced by the 1.6L engine. I feel it is unfair of VW not to use this TSI engine in India. Ofcourse cost is involved. But they are selling a premium hatchback. I am sure when the brand craze of VW begins to wane, then they will introduce it. Just like how Honda cut 1.75 lakhs on Jazz and calls it cost reduction!

sriram |26 Jul,2011 05:43:15 PM

Hi Srikanth, Yes You are right. But the difference of cost of Indian Polo and Europian Polo is high. You will get all quality in VW Vento, Jetta & Passat... The reason of Honda Jazz price cut is because now they get all parts supplied by Indian companies. They increased their localization. Hence the price cut but also we must understand the quality of parts from India and Japan. So hence the new Jazz will not be like the older one. But we will wait and see.

sachinizer |17 Jul,2011 04:49:34 AM

btw, today was the first time i read all the comments from start. its sad to see that some of you guys are already facing problems with your polo, especially their service. i think germans are best in high end luxury cars whereas japanese are best in the middle segment. for the quality and standards the german cars have set for themselves, its v.hard for them to cut down cost compromising on their make. eg: no electric orvms, simple dash board that looks from the 90s, besides plenty more... n yes about the power for polo, polo 1.6 is def the most powerful petrol but 1.2 jazz has the highest bhp of 90. polo however wins while crusing, jazz wins in pick up and city driving. ;) my opinion

sriram |18 Jul,2011 12:41:30 PM

Hi Sachin, Thanks for your messages. As i told already, Jazz is the real winner of hatchback in all areas except comfort & ride.... I wonder why you dont like the dashboard of Polo. Under my opinion, Polo's interior and dashboard is the best in the market in hatchback.. Polo that are manufactured from May 2011 will have electrically adjustable mirrors but only available at the top end.. But still Polo is very less equipped car at its price tag. Its the full of cost cutting from the VW to make it available at the price tag of 5.5 to 7 lacks.... Regarding your questions, Basically 3-cylinder engines are FE than 4-cylinders and again it is depending on the capacity of the engine. We have capacity of 1000cc engine at 3-cylinder and 1200cc engine at 3 & 4 cylinders and even 1100 engine at 4-cylinders... In Petrol hatchback car, FE is max 3km will be varied (more or less) in all hatchbacks... FE is indirectly proportional to the power utilization of the engine with a constant factor of speed... For Teflon coating, you can opt for high quality and also for SUN film. I put sun film for 3K and Teflon coating comes default with Polo... Jazz engine is not as bad as you think. If i have jazz, then no one even Polo can not overtake me in highways :-).... It has the same engine of Honda city older version.., Yes VW, Skoda, Nissan and also even Honda is not very good at service because of their high maintenance and cost of spares is more.. I already explained why it is. Most of the disappointments are because of high maintenance and for VW & Skoda, the dealers who are not well established for service... In year or down, it will be fixed automatically if two or more dealers arrives in the same city with competition... YEs Sure you can add me in FB. My name in facebook is Sriram M Udaiyappan... BTW, your jazz is already arrived?.. Have a nice car...

pooja |19 Jul,2011 04:31:18 PM

hi Sriram...M planning to buy a hatchback petrol car within a range of Rs. 5 - 5.50 lakh. As i heard the after sale service of polo is quite high, m bit confused between polo and swift.I like both the cars but getting confused to decide which one should i go for.

sriram |19 Jul,2011 04:59:50 PM

Hi, Thanks for your msg. Polo is a much better car than swift... Polo's maintenance would be 20 - 30% more than swift and Polo's quality is far better than swift.. In After Sales Service, swift is better as they have many number of dealers.. Have you seen & test driven both the cars? From which city u belong? do u have VW dealer at your city? If so you can go for Polo... I was in the same situation as of you and i bought Polo 1.2 Petrol trendline ahead of Swift VXi and i am very happy with my decision and Polo. Have a nice car...

sriram |20 Jul,2011 11:02:44 PM

Dear All, I have replaced my reverse parking sensor by replacement warranty. I am happy now to use it. Lets see how long time sensor is alive.... OMG. The Polo price is again increased? why? When i bought it, it, trendline polo petrol was 4.42 lacks. Now the same was 4.57 lacks. and now it is 4.63 Lacks. any one knows why????????????????.. I think VW dont like to grow up in india :-)....

Janardhanan |21 Jul,2011 04:48:58 PM

Hi Sriram,
I'm also from Madurai. I have booked a Polo Highline Diesel version yesterday, from Ramani cars. How is the service done by Ramani Cars? I have read some reviews that all Volkswagen Service network takes quiet longer time to deliver the vehicle which comes for service. What was ur experience with Ramani cars?

sriram |21 Jul,2011 06:56:54 PM

Hi Janardhanan, Nice to see you from Madurai and nice to see you booked Polo... For me they delivered the car after 100 days from booking even though they said 90 days waiting period.. And regarding the service, for small problems they deliver in one day. For any repair of tinkering, painting and accessories fitting, they take 1 week depending upon the work. but for accidently damaged cars, i dont know when they will deliver.. So far, my experience with Ramani cars was good except the reverse parking sensor fitting. After my sensor kit gone bad, they took 2 weeks to get a replace warranty for me. But now they moved to a new place (with the investment of 7 crores), they should do better from now.. Wr r u in madurai? I am in Besant Road. What was on road price of Polo highline diesel now?...

Janardhanan |22 Jul,2011 02:35:28 PM

Sriram, i booked the diesel highline on 20th of this month. The On Road Price quoted by them including accessories and extended warranty is 8.2 lakhs. I dont think that they will make any delay in delivering the car. I chose red colour which is readily available even now, but still i'm planning to take the delivery on Aug 3rd. I'm from iyer Bunglow. My only concern is, their showroom n service centre is in Kapplur n i may find difficult to take my car to kappalur which is not less than 30 kms away from my place. I think they can come n pick the car for service at customer's place without any charges. have to check that with ramani cars.

Janardhanan |22 Jul,2011 02:39:03 PM

If possible, share the photos of ur car with me. My mail id is janamba.mdu@gmail.com

sriram |22 Jul,2011 04:35:28 PM

Hi Jana, From my home, Kappalur is exactly 20KM.They do a free pickup for service after 15K Kms or 1 year i think. For other services, they dont. Ok sure. I will send you the mail...

Hi Sangita, thanks for ur msg. If you look for 7 seater, only SUV will be available. At 7 lacks ( 50K), you can get TATA SUMO, Chev Tavera, Bolero, Xylo. Also a small utilty vehilces from TATA, Maruti EECO will be at around 5 lacks. For good SUV, increase your budget to 10Lacks and get innova. In cars, you have many options under 7 lacks like Jazz, Polo, Fabia, Micra, Punto, Swift, Figo, Beat Diesel (to be released) etc... Have a nice car.

harish kala |13 Aug,2011 05:11:18 PM

Hi sriram i am planning to buy a car avilable up to 5 lacks kindly suggest me the best in economy maintence after sale&service thank,s

sriram |16 Aug,2011 01:00:49 PM

Hi Harish, For 5 Lacks of buget, you have many options. BTW are you looking for petrol or diesel car?... In Petrol, You have option from Alto, i10, Astar, Ritz, Figo, Liva, Fabia, VW Polo trendline (30K more than 5 lack), Nissan Micra, Beat, Punto basic model, Swift basic model and i20 basic model etc.... In diesel, you have Figo, Ritz, Beat around 5 lacks.... I suggest you to go for MAruti cars for lower maintenance & economy. For Class, & Luxury, go for VW Polo/Fabia. The average and value for money buy would be Figo... View and test drive all cars to take a decision....

sachinizer |14 Aug,2011 09:38:13 AM

Mr. Srinam,
Look at all the questions you've been attending with customers pouring more and more. You're looked upon as an expert and you very rightly are. Thank you on everyone's behalf. It's very kind of you to attend to all the questions in details. I did add you on that popular networking website. I would've got a request by now.
Cheers!
sachin

I've a budget of 6-7Lakhs.I have shortlisted Honda Jazz(X) & VW POLO (Highline).
can any body suggest which car I opt for.

sriram |23 Aug,2011 03:33:24 PM

Hi... Honda Jazz is a better car than Polo except the drive comfort in which Polo is best in class. Jazz is the master of Polo. You can have a test drive of both and decide....

Dilip.y |05 Sep,2011 12:04:19 AM

Hi Sri Ram,
I am Dilip from chennai. you are doing a good job, by sharing your expertise in this field. I am planning to buy a deisel car, and the car in my mind is your favourite POLO. After reading all the comments I have to find out the quality of service offered by VW chennai dealers. You have any idea about the chennai dealers.? With more and more people joining this discussion i think you will be having a hectic schedule. My ancestors are from Karimedu, Madurai and I have quite a few relatives in Madurai. My parents are living in kollam, Kerala. How much time will it take to travel from Chennai to Kollam via Madurai, Tenkasi if I go by POLO-Comfortline deisel. Will be in touch.

sriram |05 Sep,2011 09:07:41 PM

Hi Dilip, Thanks for your msg. Nice to meet you in cardekho... BTW, I dont know the route of Kollam from Madurai. Also I have no idea about VW dealers in chennai. In Madurai, it is Ramani Cars is the dealer. So far they are good... Polo comfortline diesel is a good option. If you can increase your budget, you can go for Highline as well which has more security options. I bought trendline Petrol as my budget is only 5 lacks. Now i miss the security features particularly the ABS. Becasue i drive very fast in Highways and sometimes at over 140KMPH speed, i felt difficulty in sudden braking to control. As the competition oncreases, VW must do good service to their customers to stay alive in india. Hence you can go for Polo. Sure we will be in touch. You can add me in facebook too by searching Sriram M Udaiyappan...

dilip.y |06 Sep,2011 11:46:42 PM

Thanks Sriram for your comments, I will update if there are any developments. I am not a user of social networks at present. So you can contact me through my e-mail id dilipali@rediffmail.com.

shibu |07 Sep,2011 08:11:29 AM

HI Sriram,,I seek u r advise
My car usage per day is between 15-20 kms...Iam however keen of going with a Diseal version of any car.But Iam advised by friends not to go for Diseal version if my travel per day is less than 35 kms..Could u please advise me , if its correct that I go to buy a Diseal car, though my per day running is less than 20 kms...
Regards
Shibu

sriram |07 Sep,2011 07:25:39 PM

Hi Shibu, Thanks for your msg. Yes. You can opt for petrol car if your per day use is less than 20Kms. My per day usage was only 8Kms initially before i buy the car. My office-home distance is 2KMs. I go home for lunch. But now i use my car for everything. In weekend i travel over 250Kms with my car. Now i feel that i should have gone for Diesel car because i suffer lot by petrol price hike. My monthly budget increases for fuel and i spend over 6K for fuel. If diesel means it would be 2500 - 3000 Max... So i suggest you to go for diesel if you can't afford fuel price hike. If it is not matter, then surely petrol as the drive feel of petrol car is awesome than diesel car and very smooth.

S M K |12 Sep,2011 11:14:21 PM

Hi Sriram, Have you figured out whether the new Jazz (Indian Make) is as good as the old version (japanese make).
Secondly is it true the Jazz is going to be discontinued soon? I am planning to book the new Jazz X MT & shld be using it for the next 10 years, just as I have used my Santro single-handedly for the last 12 years.... will the Jazz spares be available then after discontinuation in 2-3 years?
What is the diff. between the old polo & the new breeze version?
Pl. opine, regards SMK (shahidakag@yahoo.com)

sriram |13 Sep,2011 04:25:06 PM

Hi SMK, Thanks for your msg. I have figured out only the Jazz that were made in Japan... I have not test drive the JAzz made in india... Hopefully Honda will maintain its quality in both cases... Regarding the discontinuation of JAzz, Honda had only 2 options either discontinuing Jazz or reducing the price.. They choosed the second option. This gave lot of boost to Jazz sales in last 1.5 months.. So jazz will lead the hatchback way soon after the diesel version of jazz is introduced (I dont know when)... The difference b/w Polo & breeze is only the accessories. Breeze version of Polo has extra accessories worth Rs. 40K like Parking sensor, GPS Navigation, BT supported touch audio etc.. I think VW has introduced this strategy to roll out all manufactured cars of this current version of Polo soon, as they are going to launch new version of Polo sooner in December this year... Breeze is not a new version.. It is a special version like IPL Vento.. New version of Polo is coming soon with more powerful engine and some new features..So if you can, wait for 3 months to see new version of Polo. Have a test drive of both Jazz & Polo and decide. All the best...

Dilip.y |14 Sep,2011 11:25:39 PM

Hi Sri Ram, I was planning to take the delivery of POLO by Nov end. Shall I wait for some more time and get the New polo. What are the new features being added and what will be the price difference. Regards, Dilip.

sriram |23 Sep,2011 01:09:52 PM

Hi Dilip, sorry. i replied you long back. But it was not published. Ok. Have you booked ur vehicle?. You please check with your dealer for the availability of new Polo. You can wait for 3 months for new polo if you can. The new Polo will have a powerful engine, USB & BT supported Audio, Steering mounted Audio control, Electric ORVM etc with the price difference from 20K to 40K... We can expect new Polo in December.

Dilip.y |23 Sep,2011 08:31:24 PM

Thanks Sri Ram for the reply. I have booked comfortline POLO, but yet not decided when to take the delivery. After reading your reply, just now I have spoken to the dealer. He says the only change made( as per the information available to the dealer) is that a music system with 4 speakers has been added in CL and HL variants. The new price is Rs.7.25L instead of Rs.7.11L earlier. They are not aware of the changes which you have mentioned. When asked specifically, he replied that the changes which you have mentioned(Except the engine capacity) has been done in Vento. So pl. clarify, from where can we get the authentic information.

hi Nitin, thx for ur msg. You are preferring petrol or diesel cars?. For 5 - 6 lacks, in petrol, you have the options Jazz, Polo (trendline/comfortline), Fabia, Brio (launched newly), Swift, i20, Micra, Punto, Figo, Etios Liva, Beat etc. In diesel, Beat, Figo, Ritz etc only will be under 6 lacks... Take a look of all cars in their showrooms and select few cars you like. Then compare them to select best suited car for you. All the best.

mrutyunjaya das |11 Oct,2011 01:53:31 AM

hello. plan to bye a car around 5 lakhs. in this diwali. confused to buy btwn polo/brio/etios liva/i20. can u suggest me which one is better. the car will run within 25km daily.dnt hv mch knwldge about car engineerng. pls help.

sriram |11 Oct,2011 07:21:16 PM

Hi Das, Thanks for your msg. Which car you like the most? My suggestion is to go for Polo if you look for petrol car. It will cost around 5.3 lacks. I yet to update about Brio. But surely polo is better than i20 & Liva. If you look for Diesel car, then Ford Figo could be a good option for 5 lack budget. Or increase your budget and go for Polo Diesel.

madhusoodanan |28 Oct,2011 07:26:58 AM

Hi Sriram,Thanks for your valuable advises, very helpfull for anybody. I am planning to buy a polo 1.6 , because I like the power of the machine, and I believe decent comfort on drive. Could you please advise on the disadvantage of this vehicle.

sriram |31 Oct,2011 09:18:18 PM

Hi Madhu, Thanks for ur msg. Nice to see you decided to buy Polo 1.6. Its very powerful engine. The same one used in Vento. The disadvantage so far is 1) Space is little less compared to others 2) Maintenance cost is still unknown. One of my friend did maintenance after 1 year. Charge is 6500 rupees for full maintenance. But i yet to service my car. 3) If you are very taller (6ft and above), then you will face problem for knee support while driving if back seat is loaded. Because the base of the car is lower... Comfort is very good in this. Since you are buying high variant, many security features are there. So comfort will be even more than mine. All the best...

Hi Shriram. Am impressed by your knowledge of cars.. and the simplicity with which you have explained complex matters. Now that we are 9-10 months down and your have experienced your POLO more, would you still recommend it against Swift. I am contemplating which one to buy of these two cars. I nkw from your comments that POLO Petrol returns a FE on 13 kmpl, any idea how much does Swift return?

K C Das |04 Aug,2012 12:41:54 AM

Hi shriram,
same question as of saurabh mathur. would you suggest me to go for a Polo comfortline or a Swift (both petrol)? is space really a problem in case of Polo? I am 5 feet 10 inch. how would you compare the comfort? looking for your reply.
thanks
kulen ch das
nagaon, assam